The Reventlow Automobiles Inc.’s (RAI) Scarab Grand Prix
single-seaters were the very first, home-grown, all-American team of
Formula 1 racing cars. Bonhams is to offer two of these Formula 1
classics, along with their much-admired Fiat-Bartoletti transporter, at
the Goodwood Revival Sale, on 12 September.

The Scarab racing team was the brainchild of Woolworth heir, Lance
Reventlow. A youthful racing enthusiast, he learned to race in
Mercedes-Benz and Porsche cars, mixed in social circles that included
the likes of James Dean, and founded Reventlow Automobiles Inc. to go
racing “for America”.

Named after the legendary Egyptian ‘good luck’ beetle, the first
two Scarab sports cars used Chevrolet V8 engines, re-writing racing
standards in US events through 1958-59. Three Formula 1 Scarabs
followed, constructed by the legendary Troutman and Barnes, combining
combining lightweight and startling looks and a Mercedes formula one
inspired fuel injected desmodromic engine. But sports-racing success in
the US and slow development delayed the Scarab team’s F1 debut until the
1960 Monaco GP. By that time the new age of rear-engined F1 cars, led
by 1959 World Champions Cooper, had re-written the performance
standards, and Reventlow’s Scarabs - driven by Reventlow himself and by
the talented driver/engineer Chuck Daigh - proved already outdated.

After running RAI for five years, during which the company built
eight racing cars, Reventlow wrote-off the operation as a tax loss.

Lance Reventlow was a true contemporary celebrity. His first wife
was Hollywood actress Jill St. John, and his second was Mickey Mouse
Club star Cheryl Holdridge. Heir to the Woolworth fortune, his mother
was wealthy socialite, Barbara Hutton. A debutante, heiress and
philanthropist, Hutton was one of the wealthiest women in the world. She
married seven times (including a brief marriage to actor, Cary Grant),
and had one son, Lance, with second husband, Count Kurt von
Haugwitz-Reventlow.

In 1972, aged only 36, Lance Reventlow was killed when his private
aircraft - flown by an inexperienced pilot he was tutoring - flew into a
box canyon near Aspen, Colorado, stalled in attempting a U-turn and
crashed.

James Knight, Bonhams International Group Motoring Director, said:
“The Scarab team cars were fantastically quick, but unfortunately for
Reventlow, not quick enough in their development. However, at events
such as the Monaco Historic, and Goodwood Revival, the superiority of
these front-engined projectiles has been absolutely demonstrated, time
after time in recent years. These Scarabs are spectacular and beautiful
Grand Prix cars with a proven race winning record at Historic motor
racing events.”

Wednesday, 29 July 2015

SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS CELEBRATES ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SILVERSTONE CLASSIC WITH £5,083,773 IN TOTAL SALES

Celebrating its fifth year at the Silverstone Classic, Silverstone Auctions’ sale was a resounding success, with total sales of £5,083,773*, achieving a sales rate of 75 per cent over the ever-popular two-day road car sale.

The two-day sale, which one of themost successful ever at the Silverstone Classic, took place overlooking the racing events in The Wing on the weekend of 25-26 July. The road car sale followed from the auction house’s inaugural Competition Car Sale, held on 23 July.

To view the full results list of the Silverstone Classic Sale, click here. Alternatively, to view the Competition Car Sale results, click here.

This racing car-only sale was the first auction of its kind to be offered by Silverstone Auctions and achieved total sales value of £1,071,220*.

Highlights of the Competition Car Sale included a 1959 Cooper Monaco, which sold for £219,375*, while a 1979 Ford Capri GRP1 Ex-Gordon Spice went under the hammer at £92,250*.

Showing that they are leaders in Seventies, Eighties and Nineties cars, the auction house achieved a total sales value of £4,009,722* after their road car sale.

A successful sales rate of 75 percent over the two-day road car sale showed that the value and appeal from this ‘modern classic’ era is showing no sign of decreasing.

Saturday’s road car sale recorded £2,249,824*, while Sunday’s sale recorded £1,595,969*. Factoring in lifestyle and automobilia sales, the final figure for the 2015 Silverstone Classic Sale was £5,083,773*.

Star road car lots over the course of the event included the 1989 Porsche 911 930 Turbo LE.

Created as a tribute to the Porsche 930 Turbo - a car that defined the Seventies and Eighties - it is a highly desirable car today and one that is rarely seen at auction.

The last edition 1 of 50 right-hand drive LE had just over 30,000 miles and went under the hammer for £159,750*.

Another immaculate and highly sought-after Porsche starring at the Silverstone Classic sale was a 1972 911 2.4 S Coupe.

The left-hand drive, matching numbers car, presented in its original Light Ivory with a black interior and period correct Fuchs alloys, sold for £132,750*.

Meanwhile, a very rare 1989 DeTomaso Pantera GT5-S proved to be the subject of much competition in the room.

One of only 17 RHD GT5-Ss out of a total factory production of 187 worldwide, it exceeded its upper estimate of £150,000 selling for an exceptional £157,500*.

It was a similar story for an outstanding example of the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 EVO II.

This roadgoing version of one of the greatest touring cars of its era attracted a huge amount of interest and far exceeded its upper estimate of £75,000, selling for £100,697*.

Coys return to the Nurburgring for the 43rd AVD Oldtimer Grand Prix. The auction, held on 8th August, is the largest and most prestigious sale held at this event to date, with 72 great entries of sports, competition, sports touring, and Grand Prix cars available. A small selection of entries are detailed below.

Viewing takes place from Friday 7th August from 10AM - 7PM, and on Saturday 8th August from 10AM until the auction at 4PM.

The full catalogue for this auction is now available online at www.coys.co.uk.